Welcome

Words I'd use to describe this blog: left wing, liberal, progressive, a serious procrastination deviceWords my friends might use to describe this blog: you actually have a blog Tom?

Thursday

GCSE Results Day

Today was the 'other' big results day for secondary education, in that GCSE grades were announced for students across the UK.

Cue the stories about GCSEs getting easier, or teachers simply training students how to pass the tests.

I wonder if we'll ever have the confidence/pride in our education system to consider the following proposition: teachers are getting better, and therefore so are students.

Over the last ten years, the PGCE qualification taken by most primary and secondary school teachers has evolved into a highly professional, credible and it has to be said, labour intensive qualification to obtain. Gone are the days where university graduates would simply 'fall' into teaching as a career: it's now one of the highest rated preferred destinations.

Isn't it time we at least considered the fact this might be having a positive impact on children, and subsequently, their academic achievement?